Grand Chase Murder Investigation Agency
by Lady Lunevis
Summary: AU. Elesis, Lire, and Arme join the best police squad around: the Grand Chase! With solving difficult murder mysteries being their specialty, the team must work together to catch murderers before it's too late. However, secrets are withheld at every turn, and challenges await. Various pairings. Case One: Trial Forest first chapter relased!
1. Teaser

_Oops haha look it's a new story how did that happen_

_Because good inspiration always comes to you when you're supposed to be studying for midterms _

_Either way, hello there! Lunevis returns from hiatus with a brand new, shiny story! _

_I will still update my other stories as well as this one, only much, much slower. Apologies for that, but life is busy! _

_Either way, to summarize this up, this is an AU I thought of while studying for French midterms. Oui, oui. Basically, it's an AU where all the GC members are policemen because Criminal Minds feels. All of the dungeons are cases, and, well, the bosses, I'll leave that up to you to decide!_

_Each dungeon will roughly last two to three chapters. Though, some may be longer. (Hint hint Kaze'aze castle hint hint). Now, let the story begin, because I'm so excited about this one!_

_Anyways, this is just a teaser. I'll try to upload the actual first chapter soon!_

:: Characters ::

Elesis Sieghart: A newcomer in the Squad that refuses to talk about her past. Sieghart's cousin.  
Her father was murdered.

Lire Eryuell: Desk job. A newcomer into the Squad, from Eryuell Island with big goals.

Arme Glenstid: A short but bright student that has an interest in forensics.

Lass Isolet: A silent and cold policeman that works on the field. Rufus' brother.

Ryan Woodguard: A peaceful, nature-loving policeman that does deskwork more than going into the field.

Ronan Eurdon: From a rich family, Ronan works as a police lawyer. He gained this job and kept it with his family connections and friendly nature.

Amy Plie: The cheerful, beautiful idol that works as a communications officer. Does not actually have a gun or badge.

Jin Kaien: Transferred into the unit from Silverland. Does most of the chasing and arresting.

Ercnard Sieghart: Lazy and attractive, the team captain will flirt with any female or male seen. He can be urgent and witty during situations, but normally he's laid back and uncaring. Leaves the paperwork to his deputy, Edel Frost. Got his cousin, Elesis Sieghart, into the force.

Mari Ming Onette: The intelligence officer of the force,Mari provides the team with information they need before going into dangerous territory. Very calm and follows orders.

Dio Burning Canyon: With a past of illegal actions, Dio has always been slightly seperated from the rest of the team. Along with Ley and Zero, they make up the Raid Squad that beats things up when push comes to shove.

Zero Zephyrum: Part of the Raid Squad with Dio and Ley, Zero is quiet and follows orders exacty. Everything about him is strong, to his height and build and his attitude.

Ley von Crimson River: The childhood friend of Dio, the two share a rivalry that is half friendship, half hatred. Part of the Raid Squad with Zero and Dio, also having a sealed record. Ley is flirtaious and charming, having the world in her palm.

Rufus Wilde: Once a bounty hunter known as Luxus, Rufus was caught by the police. In repent for his actions, he now works as interrogation for the squad. Lass' brother.

Rin Gaon: The interviewer for the squad, Rin talks to the families and citizens and offers her condolences, gathering information along the way. She is very religious, and great friends with Lime.

Asin Tairin: Known as the Blue Fox, Asin transferred from Silverland with a long, legendary reputation. He works as a spy for the squad.

Lime Serenity: Very religious, Lime mainly works desk jobs and is good friends with Rin. She also talks with Ronan often, due to her strong sense of justice she wants to convey to the lawyer.

Edel Frost: The deputy of the team, Edel issues most of the orders and takes care of the paperwork while Sieghart lounges around.

Veigas Terre: A mysterious newcomer that is arrognant and vain. He has a history with Dio and often speaks of "accidentally" ending him. Though Dio is not worried, some in the team are.

:: Extract ::

Elesis stared at her cousin in shock. That lazy old thing, the entire captain of the team? Before she could look to see if anyone was joking, a cheerful, smiling girl with bright pink hair bounced into the room, speaking a mile a minute.

"Sieghart! Everyone! So glad you're here. Oh! And you must be the new recruits; very nice to meet you, I'm the communications officer, Amy Plie! I'd shake your hand, but I'm holding important documents right now. Edel! Didn't you say you accepted Serdin's plead for help? Well, the order finally came, a week later!"

Before anyone could reply, Amy turned to Elesis, Lire, and Arme. Winking one perfectly, doe-brown eye, she smiled at them with a mischievous grin.

"Well, Arme! Looks like you're going to get to fiddle around with a dead body today."

The short female turned an interesting shade of green, one Elesis would laugh at if she wasn't paying attention to Amy.

"Can I go into the field?"

All heads turned to her, and Elesis felt very subconscious for a moment. _Seize the day, _she told herself, and took a breath.

"I've completed all my training. I graduated at the top of my class. I could shoot a gun just as well as anyone here." She glared around, as if challenging.

The room was quiet, until slow clapping broke the thick tension.

"Well said." Sieghart rose from laying on the sofa, a soft smirk playing upon his lips. "Give the girl your gun, Ryan, you do nothing but stay inside all day. You can work with Lire. Lass, take Arme to the body and make sure no harm comes her way, for I'd hate to see such a lovely face horrified," he winked at the mentioned female. Lass, a tall policeman with striking white hair, rolled his eyes as he approached and introduced himself to the squeaking Arme.

"As for my darling cousin over here," Sieghart approached her.

"Get your mitts off," Elesis snapped.

He only laughed. "Well, let's head out. Edel, if you would take care of the stack of papers on my desk. . ."

His deputy rolled her eyes and pushed a strand of lavender hair out of her eyes. "Wheels up in thirty, everyone. We're going to the forest just outside of Wendy's Tower."

Sieg leaned in closer to Elesis, that smirk growing wider. "Since you're coming out with us, why don't we call it Trial Forest for now?"


	2. Case One: Trial Forest: Introduction

_Whoo first chapter!_

_Just saying, I will be making up the murder victims and extra police officers. If you have names that are __realistic,__ please send them in for I will might need to use them! _

_Note: I'm not making up murderers. Now I wonder why? Hehe._

_Vocabulary:  
ToD: Time of death  
HQ: headquarters  
__Unsub: Unidentified subject  
John Doe/Jane Doe: Unknown person_

:: Case One: Trial Forest ::

:: Introduction ::

_The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential. . . these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.  
:: Confucius :: _

Elesis Sieghart glared at the door before her. It stood, seemingly harmless. _I see you, _she seethed at it. _You're made from dead trees. What help could you be?_

Although, truthfully, it wasn't the door she had a problem with. It was the nameplate, golden and shiny, reflecting the glare of the midday sun straight into her eyes. She squinted at the tiny print, aware she looked rather crosseyed and angry right now.

Well, the anger part was real. Crosseyed, not so much.

Crumpling the small sheet of paper clenched tightly in white knuckles, Elesis rapped sharply on the wood. Once, twice, three times.

She waited. And waited. And waited.

Just as she raised her arm to knock again after several minutes of dead silence, the door creaked open. It would be a frightening sight if she didn't know who was behind the wood, making the almost comical ghost noises. Sighing loudly, she spoke, her voice echoing into the large office.

"Ercnard, really?"

Just as the name left her lips, a laughing young man wandered out casually from behind the door, his grey eyes twinkling in mirth and that always-present smirk etched on his lips. "Well, look who finally arrived! How's the city, Red?"

She bristled. "Don't call me that! It was just my luck you happened to get lucky enough to work in a police agency."

"Not luck," her cousin raised a finger to his lip. "Pure talent, right here."

Elesis snorted. "Yeah right." Without waiting for instructions, she wandered into the room, pressing the paper into his chest firmly. Sieghart caught it just as it was about to drift onto the ground.

"My introduction papers. Have fun with the paperwork." She balanced herself on his desk, mocking his smirk.

Sieghart's expression was unchanging. "Sure. I'll just call Edel."

"If I remember correctly, you're the one that's supposed to be doing all my paperwork. You know, since we're related. Where did you get such a fancy office, anyways? The company must be rich if they give out rooms to every single small policeman out there."

Sieghart put on a false, mocked face. "I'm offended you'd think so little of me, cousin. And since when were you a sticker for the rules? Well, here's one for you. Don't go around mocking senior officers, especially not when you're trying to make the unit."

Elesis pursed her lips, a witty remark on the tip of her tongue. Still, she remembered her place. One day, Ercnard would pay for mocking her so. Just not now. If she wanted to get into the squad, she needed to 'respect' her elders, just as Sieghart said.

Only one day, she would be his elder. And how she would pay to see his face then.

"Well, where's the squad?"

Sieghart looked almost disappointed that she hadn't challenged his authority. "If I know them, they're probably eating all the food we have left. The main meeting room's this way." He started to head out the door, but stopped abruptly. "Oh, and, we have two other new recruits here." He smiled at her, leaning back. "Let's see which one of you makes it."

Elesis felt a slight chill go down her spine at the way he looked at her, as if teasing her. Dangling fresh meat in front of her that she wasn't allowed to reach for. _Calm, Elesis, calm. _

She raised her head to him, defiantly. "We'll see."

"That's right, Red. Let's."

_:: Grand Chase ::_

The meeting room was a wide, square room that stretched across the entirety of the building, with small openings leading to individual offices and halls. Glass panels separated workspaces, desks filled with messy papers and beeping computers. People rushed around, phones rang, and many greeted Ercnard on the way.

Elesis peered at him, glaring as the fifth female giggled and waved with a squeal of "morning, Sieghart!".

"Two things. One, why does everyone call you Sieghart? And two, why are you so popular all of a sudden? Bribes? Blackmail?"

Sieghart actually laughed, real and loud, for once. "Here, we call each other by last names. Makes it easier. Although, since we have the same last name, they might give you a nickname. Red fits."

Elesis punched him on the shoulder, something that could have been taken as relative friendliness, if she hadn't punched so _hard. _A moment later, Sieghart rubbed his sore arm and grumbled, pouting at Elesis. "What was that for?"

"If you call me Red one more time, I will end you. Understood?" she fixed him with a glare as cold and sharp as the god Thantos himself.

Sieghart knew when to admit defeat, and was an easygoing person. "Fine, fine," he laughed. "How could such a little thing like you have such a big temper?"

"Ercnard Sieghart," Elesis replied very calmly, her eyes fixed on his, unchanging. "How does such a big man like you have such a little brain?"

Someone passing by, carrying a large suitcase, stopped and laughed. "She got you good on that one, boss. Quite a temper, this one?"

Elesis ignored the newcomer, and instead turned towards Sieghart. "Boss?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to mention that, didn't I? Sorry." He didn't look sorry at all. "See, I'm the captain of the Grand Chase Murder Investigation Agency."

"You?" Elesis stared at him, face filled with disbelief. "_You? _When they tested you, they didn't do an intelligence test, did they?"

"As a matter of fact, I passed with flying colours. Who's the weakling now?" Sieg replied back, in a light and teasing tone. He winked at her, his smirk growing wider.

Elesis snorted and folded her arms, unwilling to admit that was _somewhat _impressive.

Her cousin, seeing that it was useless to pursue the idea of friendship any further between them, turned back to the person who had originally spoken.

"Quite, Erudon, but nevermind that. What are you preparing for?"

The addressed chuckled softly before he took on a much more serious tone. "In the last case we got, Burning Canyon busted some chairs and snapped some limbs. He's pleading guilty to the whole thing too, and the judge is seriously considering sentencing him to some jailtime. _Again_. We all know his record can't afford to be tarnished any longer, or they'll take his gun and badge."

The speaker, Erudon, was a handsome man of average height, with long indigo hair drawn up in a high ponytail. His eyes of the same colour reflected life and excitement, eagerness and joy, and he was dressed in a fine, crisp suit with a black tie and unstained cuffs. At his side was a large brown suitcase, polished and brand new.

"So you're now heading out to make a valiant attempt at rescuing our troubled officer?"

Erudon ran a hand through his hair. "Troubled is one way to describe him."

Elesis sat in the midst of this conversation, completely confused. Feeling slightly irritated and a lot more ashamed, she snorted and looked around. The room was large and spacious, with desks all around. A male with brilliant orange hair sat at one booth, hurriedly answering phone calls and scribbling down quick notes. Someone with bright pink hair tied up in two ponytails bounced around the hectic atmosphere, constantly on the phone. Small frames of glass and wood separated each desk and a small area around it, marking each individual's workplace.

Sieghart and Erudon were still chatting, until the first finally noticed his younger cousin standing around, with one hand on a limp arm and looking around uncomfortably.

"Elesis! Come here."

She was in no mood to argue, and swiftly crossed the small space between them.

"This is Elesis Sieghart," Sieghart spoke, his voice almost tinted with pride. "My cousin."

"Ah, right." Erudon nodded at her, and Elesis was suddenly aware that they were almost the same height, with Sieghart slightly towering over them. Heck, she looked taller. "The one you were always talking about."

"...You talked about me?" She glanced up at Sieghart, accusing. "Let me guess, about how horrible and ugly I was, right?"

Before Sieghart could begin to answer, Erudon interrupted. "Quite the opposite, Miss Sieghart. He's always talking about how proud he is of his family. Like when you made it into the academy, when you graduated highest of all, and so forth. I'm pretty sure that fight he and Burning Canyon got into a few weeks ago was about how he wouldn't shut up talking."

A dark flush was beginning to creep up Sieghart's neck, and he coughed quietly, refusing to meet Elesis' shocked, wondering eyes. Despite herself, she found herself blushing slightly as well.

Instead of pursuing matters further, Elesis noticed something in Erudon's speech she hadn't been paying attention to before.

"You mentioned someone named Burning Canyon...That's the second time I've heard of him. What his deal?"

Erudon ran a hand through his ponytail again, and sighed deeply. "Dio Burning Canyon. He's an excellent fighter and expert gunsman, but a troublemaker for sure. He's been arrested multiple times for petty details and has a history of drug abuse and gang relations. He's on the team in an attempt to make him see the light of things."

As his words sank in, Elesis opened her mouth to reply before she was suddenly interrupted.

"Let's not dive too deep into this," Sieghart said, cutting off Eurdon and Elesis' conversation. "Everyone has things in their past they want to forget, and let's give him the chance to do that."

Erudon looked curious. "It's not everyday you stick up for Burning Canyon. Must days you want him to go away for good."

Sieg laughed. "What can I say? I have a weakness for snivelling weaklings that need my heroic, excellent help."

"Don't let him hear you say that, or he'll tear you to shreds," Erudon said, but with a light, joking tone. Then, he turned back to Elesis.

"Oh! How rude of me, I haven't even introduced myself. Ronan Erudon, if it pleases you. Mostly everyone calls me Erudon, since we go by last names here. I'm the teams' lawyer. I don't have a gun or badge, but I win most of their cases and lock up the baddies they bring in for good," he smiled. "One would say it's a good job."

"Elesis Sieghart," Elesis said back, exchanging the formal pleasantries. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice indeed," Ronan agreed, before checking his watch. Made of glittering gold, even Elesis could see it was very expensive. Just how much did these people get paid? If Sieghart was really the boss as he said he was, and this wasn't just some plot to fool the newcomer, she'd have to discuss salary with him later.

"Excuse me, Boss, and..." he paused at Elesis, unsure what to do. "Sieghart will do, I suppose. It was nice meeting you, but I have to go now. Canyon's trial is starting in half an hour, and I have to prepare. Talk some sense into that thick skull of his. We'll talk later. Congratulations on making the team, Sieghart. You'll do just fine."

Elesis nodded, flashing a small smile. "Thanks. See you around."

Ronan just stopped in his actions and looked at her, his mouth slightly agape. One, two, three seconds ticked on as they stood there, and Elesis felt very uncomfortably suddenly.

Before soon, Ronan regained his composure. "Right. Same to you," he looked like he was about to say something else, but thought better of it and hefted his suitcase up from the ground, giving them a small, final wave before heading off.

"What was that about?" Elesis mused.

Sieghart shrugged, "Weird guy, Erudon. Good at heart and his job, though. Well! Now that you've met one of the team, ready to meet the rest?"

Elesis shrugged. "Even if I'm not, I'll have to do it anyways."

Sieghart chucked. "Good logic. I'll call a meeting in the room, the other newbies should be there already. Follow me."

They wove their way through the complicated maze of glass panel and wooden desks, as Sieg stopped here and there to greet someone or throw a comment at another. He was popular, Elesis realized, which only gave her stomach a nervous twist. How could she live up to her cousin's reputation here?

Finally, they reached a door at the north side of the room, just as Sieghart bid farewell to a giggling desk secretary and paid her a compliment on her earrings. Suddenly serious, he pushed the door, which swung easily open on oiled hinges, and walked inside, not looking behind. Elesis followed once more, now feeling anxious.

There were three others inside the room. From the bright lights, Elesis could see a giant, rounded table that took up most of the room, with wooden chairs all around. They faced a flatscreen television attached to the wall, and on the side a small counter holding a coffee maker, a toaster, a sink, and a fridge. Above hang three cabinets, all with polished wood and black ivory handles.

"They don't let us watch TV," Sieghart answered, to Elesis' questioning glance at the television. "We use it to view pictures of the crime, though we also do that on the iPads. Which is why I suggested we turn it to other channels to watch football. Only, Frost told me that was unprofessional."

He glanced at one of the people sitting at the desks, his tone accusing. Elesis followed his eyes, and noticed the people sitting at the table, squished to one side.

A female in a crisp, dark purple suit was there, with sharp blue eyes framed by white-lavender lashes. Her lips glittered with light lipstick and a sweet smell wafted slowly off her bodice, filling the air. Her hair, of the same white-purple colour, was loose, flowing around her shoulders and down to her waist.

Opposite her sat two more girls, looking more nervous than anything. One was a beauty, with straight blonde hair she kept in a braid down her back, woven with velvet green ribbon. Her emerald eyes sparkled as she looked around the area, and her posture was strict but graceful.

The other couldn't hope to compare to the first's natural beauty. With short, lanky purple hair and uneven bangs and blemished skin, the only thing noticeable about her was her eyes: deep purple, glittering bright in the light and full of wonder and cheer.

The lavender female sighed. "Captain, we've been over this. No football in the meeting room."

"You won't let me have it in my own room either," Sieghart whined back.

"Your headquarters is not a suitable place to watch sports," the female chided. "It's a place to do paperwork."

"You already do everything for me, Frost," Sieghart spoke back, his eyes full of mirth.

Frost sighed. "One day I'm going to leave the team and you're all going to be completely lost."

"Aw, don't leave," Sieghart slid into a chair beside the female. "Look, I'm sorry, I'll start signing papers next time so you don't have to chase me down,"

Frost brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes. "That's as good as it'll get, huh?"

"Yep."

She managed a small smile. "Fine. I'll take it."

Sieg grinned. "You better."

Elesis coughed, finding this whole exchange rather uncomfortable. As she recalled, he already had a girlfriend—someone by the same of Mari, she believed. Or did Sieg just flirt with every living being in existence?

At once, all heads turned to her, and she half wished she hadn't done that. However, Sieg took over quickly, and all was forgotten.

"Oh, right! Elesis, come here. Edel, this is my cousin, Elesis Sieghart."

The other female composed herself quickly. "SIeghart, is it? I'm Edel Frost, but, as we go by last names here, you can address me as Frost or Lieutenant. Whatever fits better for you. I've heard a lot about you. Please, sit."

Elesis nodded through the female's string of words and took a seat, right next to the purple-haired female. Sieghart slid into one lazily beside Edel.

"Eryuell, Glenstid, and Sieghart," Edel shifted the folders on the table. "Your files all seem strong and true. Our technical analysis, Onette, has completed the necessary background checks. Not that we don't trust you, it's a rule when accepting new recruits. Now, if I may ask, what is your interest in joining this team, and your strong points and weaknesses?"

Edel turned her head towards the blonde, her lips pursed. Beside her, Sieg gave the female a lazy smile.

The blonde cleared her throat. "My name's Lire. Lire Eryuell. I'm from the royal family of Eryuell, from Eryuell Island—"

"Fancy," Sieghart mused.

"Please don't interrupt, Captain." Edel rolled her eyes.

Lire gave them both an unreadable look, halfway between annoyance and humour. "Either way, as I've said, I come from the line of Eryuell. I want to join the team because I want to explore the world and see both sides of humanity. My strong suits include gunsmenship. I've been trained in archery since I was a little girl, and can hit point blank no matter what." Lire gave a look around, challenging anyone to mock her. "I'm agile and excellent at gathering data. My weaknesses include technical problems. Raised on Eryuell, computers are new to me."

Edel nodded. "Thank you for being truthful with me, Miss Eryuell. Your notes will be documented." She wrote something down, tapped on her chin thoughtfully with her pen, and nodded. "To begin, we'll assign you a desk job so you can get used to technology more. You can go into the field after the agent looking after you assesses that you're prepared."

Lire didn't look quite all that happy, but she knew better than to question the lieutenant's decision. She sat back in her hair and nodded, and Sieg gave her a sympathetic look.

"And you, Miss Glenstid?"

The addressed female glanced up sharply, jumping in her chair. "Right! Well, I'm Arme Glenstid. I grew up in Serdin and I've always been interested in forensics. I applied to join because I want to know more about forensics, yes, but also the interconnections of criminal activity."

SIeg raised an eyebrow, suddenly looking interested. "And what would that be?"

"Activities concerning Lady Kaze'aze," the other replied, meeting SIeg's calm gaze straight on.

At once, the temperature in the room felt instantly colder. Elesis clenched her fists tightly, feeling her nails dig into her skin. Sieghart flashed her a glance, but looked back at Arme, suddenly sounding calm, but, most importantly, cold. Gone was the joking youngster, replaced by the true leader of the Grand Chase Murder Investigation Agency.

"Why so?" he asked.

Arme shrugged. "It's interesting."

Elesis snorted.

The short female turned towards the red-haired female. "Something wrong?"

Elesis just rolled her eyes. "If you think Kaze'aze is 'interesting', you're going to get yourself killed."

A flush began to rise on Arme's cheeks. "Excuse me?"

"Now, now—" Lire began to speak, but Elesis interrupted.

"You heard me, shortie. Kaze'aze isn't something to take interest in."

"And how would you know? We're both fresh out of the academy."

"That's enough!" Edel raised her voice slightly, her eyes flashing.

Elesis ignored her. "I just do."

Arme raised an eyebrow. "That's suspicious."

"Didn't you hear? They already did background checks. Or were you too busy dreaming of your precious Kaze'aze?"

"Backgrounds can be faked."

"You've been watching too much crime TV. Go back to that and get out of this place."

"Elesis—" Sieg began to say.

"If anyone should leave, it should be you," Arme's eyes flashed. "Get out."

"You have no authority over me." Elesis leaned back in her chair and checked the time, seeing Arme rise out of her own chair from the corner of her eye.

Something clicked.

"Glenstid, get your butt down on that chair. Sieghart, sit up."

Elesis spun around as Arme sat down, and her eyes widened.

Arme screamed.

Pointed directly at their foreheads were guns, shining black and fully loaded. Suddenly feeling her body freeze over, Elesis trailed her eyes slowly up.

The first thing she saw was an open vested magenta coat, a white shirt underneath. As she travelled further up, she met a pair of cold, almost glowing magenta eyes that filled her instantly up with frost. The brunette pointing the gun at both their heads was no one other than Rufus Wilde, once known as the hitman and bounty hunter Luxus, caught by the police and placed under Sieghart's order to repent for his crimes. She had no doubts that he would shoot the gun without a second thought.

Though Lire and Edel had halfway risen out of their chairs in panic, Sieghart didn't seemed worried.

"One way to make a good first impression is not by pointing a gun at someone, Wilde," the captain yawned.

"Wilde!" Edel rose out of her chair. "Retract your weapons this instant."

The addressed male only gave her a sharp glare, holding her glance. Cold magenta met intense blue.

Elesis heard a trigger click. She gulped and glanced at Arme, all angers forgotten, but the other female had closed her eyes and was whispering under her breath fervently.

"Wilde," she heard Edel say, but did not want to turn her head.

Just as she was sure she was going to die like this, shot in the police office of all places, with Sieghart just _watching _and Edel helpless to do anything, a hand flashed out and gripped Rufus' arm.

At once, Rufus' head flashed to his side, and Elesis took his chance to grab his arm, twist it, and dive under the table. Rufus hissed in pain and Elesis heard laughter.

She glanced up to see Sieghart, still holding Rufus' arm. Somehow, he'd wandered his way around the table with no one noticing. Now, he gently led Rufus' other arm, the one with the gun pointing Arme, down, and the purple female looked closed to tears. Lire gently touched her arm and the two girls whispered for a while, as Elesis crept from one side to the other, finally coming up beside Edel.

"Back off," Sieghart's voice was gentle. "Or else Frost might send you back to the judge, and I don't think Erudon would appreciate another one to fight for. His hands are already full with Burning Canyon, and I don't think you want to fall in the same category as him."

Wilde snorted. "Whatever." He rubbed his arm, glared at Elesis—a glare that sent shivers down her spine—and slid his guns into their holster.

"Besides, what about your brother?"

Rufus stopped.

"Leave Lass out of this," he spoke in an icy tone, laced with threats.

Sieg knew defeat when it came. He raised his hands up in a helpless manner, and chucked. "Fine, fine. But he probably shouldn't find out you pointed guns at two helpless new recruits today. Not something to tell at the dinner table, eh?"

"They were fighting," Rufus replied back bluntly, as if this solved everything.

"And I know you don't like that, but it's still no excuse to shoot anyone," Sieghart explained patiently, as if the concept was new to Wilde.

_It probably is, _Elesis thought to herself, and, despite the whole matter, rolled her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

Wilde also rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He shot a look at Elesis, who glared back now that she was safe behind Edel, Arme, who refused to look at him and was still talking to Lire, and Lire, who only gave Arme a comforting pat on the shoulder and ignored him completely. He then turned to Edel, who looked absolutely livid.

"I'd run if I were you," Sieghart advised. "She looks mad. You'll probably get extra paperwork."

"Rufus Wilde!"

Edel's voice seemed to echo around the entire room, the entire building. At once, people began to peek inside from the windows, which they had forgotten to shut the binds.

Others rushed in. Elesis saw a tired-looking Erudon who gave her a small wave, and she nodded back. People crowded around them, and Elesis guessed it was the entirety of the team based on how they greeted each other and reacted to the scene before them.

Edel held out her hand. "Hand it over."

"Hand what?" Rufus didn't even look at her.

She clenched her teeth. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Now, Frost," a tall male interrupted, and Elesis glanced over at him. He towered over everyone in the room, Sieg and Rufus included, with pure white hair that seemed to gleam as the light reflected off it. He had very nice eyes, Elesis mused, very blue and clear like the ocean, strong and assuring.

"Be quiet, Isolet. You can't over for your brother this time."

Ah. Brother. So this was Rufus Wilde's only living family member, Lass Isolet.

"What'd he do this time?" the orange-haired male Elesis had seen earlier in the office spoke now. His eyes, the same emerald green as Lire's, looked from Edel to Rufus, concerned.

"He pointed a gun at two newcomers, Elesis Sieghart and Arme Glenstid," Edel explained, breathing heavily. "Now. Gun. Badge."

At the back, someone gasped. The crowd parted to reveal a pretty young girl, with bright lime-green hair curled in two buns made of braids. She had large, sparkling sea-blue eyes, brilliant and beautiful. She regarded Rufus with an expression of hurt.

"Ru—Wilde!" she quickly corrected her blunder, and Elesis stared on. _Interesting. . . _

"How could you do such a thing?"

Rufus just shrugged, now looking more ashamed than anything.

Another girl, this one with skin the colour of melted bronze, gently touched the shoulder of the girl that'd called out Rufus. "Come now, Serenity, let Frost deal with this for now..."

Serenity nodded, her face twisted into an upset frown. Rufus stared after her form as she left with the other girl, who had hair the colour of peaceful white, looped into a neat little ponytail at the side of her head. Her aquamarine eyes were reassuring as she talked to Serenity, her glossed lips moving. Elesis found her exotic, and apparently so did another male: with the same lavender-white hair as Edel, only more purple-tinted. He had a smirk etched onto his sharp features, and his slender frame slowly crept after the girls, his red eyes filled with a mixture of concern and secret lust.

"Tairin," Sieg casually called out the creeping male. Tairin jumped and spun around.

"Stay," ordered Sieghart, and he stayed, albeit with a carefully concealed expression of frustration.

"Back to matters," Edel cleared her throat. "Wilde. Gun and badge. I'm suspending you from the office and field for two days."

"But—" Lass tried speaking again, but Edel stopped him.

"Isolet, you will be busy training the new recruits. Your brother will be fine. The two days will do him some good."

Surprisingly, Rufus didn't put up much of a fight. He loosened his belt and gave it to Edel, along with the two guns and his badge, extracted from his vest pocket.

Elesis expected Wilde to walk away now, dejected, so she could laugh at him. Just as Rufus began to turn around, Edel called out.

"All of your guns, Wilde."

The male spun back, his magenta eyes unreadable. "Those are all of my guns."

Edel sighed. "We've been working together for two, three years now. You have two hidden in each of your boots, one strapped onto your leg, another hiding in the back of your vest, and the last one is strapped onto your arm, in plain sight."

Wilde's mouth tightened as he gave Edel the gun on his arm, but only that. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's not nice to lie, Wilde," Sieg interrupted casually. "Might lead to even more trouble. You should learn from our friend, Burning Canyon, here."

"Leave me out of this." Elesis couldn't see the speaker, but the voice was angry, sharp.

"Wilde," Edel was steadily growing out of patience. "Give me the rest of your guns."

Rufus glanced back sharply, his glance unyielding. "I don't have anything else."

Edel stared just as fiercely, and the tension in the room was sharp enough to physically cut. Finallly, with a long exaggerated sigh, Edel spoke.

"Fine, fine. Don't give me your guns. However, as you do not have your badge on you, anything you do as of the moment, _Luxus, _will get you arrested. And I will see to it personally Erudon does not work as your lawyer."

Someone in the back snapped their fingers. Elesis heard a whisper of "Ohhh, sharp!".

"From this day on you are suspended for two days. If you are seen within the grounds you will be arrested. If you do anything out of order you will be arrested. If you have contact with other members of the squad you will be arrested. In fact," Edel took a deep breath, her lavender hair flowing from her back onto her shoulders. "if you so much do more than breath I will have you arrested."

"Don't take her seriously," Sieghart motioned from behind Edel. "You're still allowed here, Wilde. Just don't shoot the first thing you see. We've had enough of that so far."

Elesis wondered just what kind of squad her cousin ran.

"Sieg—Captain!" Edel looked indignant. "I can't issue orders with you standing here breaking every single one of them."

"You're just mad, You're going to regret this decision in a few days. Plus, think about Serenity. Wilde's little lady friend is going to shoot you some mean glares, and you don't want that from someone who's all about peace and justice."

"She's not my 'lady friend', Captain," Rufus broke in icily.

"Well go ahead and make it happen. Both do you some good."

Lire bolted upright, her green eyes flashing in alarm. "Sir, if I may. . .?"

"Hm?" Sieg seemed to notice Arme and Lire for the first time. "Oh, right. What is it, Eryuell?"

"A-Aren't..." Lire glanced around, at all the eyes watching her, and suddenly faltered. Edel smiled at her to go on.

"Aren't relationships between coworkers of the same police unit strictly illegal?"

Edel's mouth tightened. "They are."

"Eh, but who reads the rules?" Sieghart flopped back into his chair with a gusty show of exasperation. "Rules, rules, rules. You can never have fun with them. Everyone's always expecting you to follow them, to be a perfect example. I say we have some fun in this unit, even if fun means occasionally hooking up with the person you killed someone with."

"Sieghart, that's not really..." A new voice, this time from the back of the room, much quieter than everyone else, but with a redeeming quality that demanded attention at once. "That's not really something a leader says, is it?"

Elesis could pinpoint the exact second Sieghart's face went from uninterested to bouncing up and down like an excited puppy. He quickly jumped up, shifted through the crowd, and emerged with a blue haired girl in his arms, who was blushing scarlet.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He presented the girl to Elesis with a wide grin. "May I introduce Mari Ming Onette, our very wonderful technical officer, and my personal darling!" At the last word, he bent down and affectionately nuzzled Mari on the head. The girl pushed away, a small hand on his chest, though Elesis could see the small smile peaking through.

"Sieghart, we're at work..."

"_Ahem."_

Someone cleared their throat, a small noise ringing around the chaotic room. Elesis, wondering for the hundredth time who the voice belonged to, spun her head and found nothing there.

That is, until she looked down.

Amidst the crowd was a small male—no, boy was more like it. With scabby knees, deep purple hair slicked back, and a very satisfied expression, like a cat with too much cream, he slowly padded forward and stopped just in front of Edel.

"Frost."

"Terre." There was an edge to the female's voice.

Terre didn't seem to notice, and walked on. "Captain."

"Terre. Was wondering when you'd show up." Sieg nodded, his eyes carefully guarded, and Elesis wasn't sure if she saw danger or warmth in her cousin's eyes.

"I wouldn't miss a meeting like this for the world," the boy's voice was quiet, oh so quiet, but seemed rather loud in the suddenly silent room.

"Who's he?" Elesis whispered rather loudly to Edel, who stiffened and shushed her.

Too late. Terre turned to her, wearing an expression akin to a cat who found his prey. "How rude of me. Veigas Terre at your service, young mistress Sieghart. I am a new, but most important asset to this unit." He raised a hand in greeting.

Elesis didn't take his outstretched hand. Most important asset? Someone was full of themselves. She snorted.

One thin eyebrow rose. "I studied books on psychology and nihilism while you napped in your diapers. I graduated high school just as you started middle. I finished my first course of university within a year, and I currently hold three degrees. Should I not call myself a genius and praise my existence, when all of it is true?"

"Wow, only three degrees," Elesis snapped back, unwilling to bow. Her voice dripped in sarcasm.

Veigas nodded, taking her words quite seriously. Elesis guessed social ability was not his strong point. "Only three. I would have had four, but due to some..._unfortunate _circumstances, I had to drop out of university. Now, I am a consultant to the unit, with just as much power as anyone in this room." His strange yellow eyes flickered back and forth. "In fact, I do believe I can shoot Dio right here and now, and I'd just get a two day suspension like Wilde."

Rufus glared at him. "If you come along with me, I'll take off your arm."

Veigas just smiled. "Be careful what you say to karma."

Elesis had _enough _of this creepy short kid and insane team. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, red eyes flashing with anger threatening to burst, she was interrupted Sieghart.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Sieg smiled, stretching. "Don't forget you're in headquarters. And," he added, almost like an afterthought, "I have the power to fire all of you here and now."

That seemed to shut both Wilde and Terre up. Elesis felt satisfied as she watched Veigas shrink back, glaring daggers as he disappeared among the crowd. Wilde simply crossed arms.

"Yes Captain," both muttered, obviously unhappy.

That's the boss for you," someone chirped at the back of the room. "No one more fit to rule than he, hear hear." A few laughs followed his words.

_Wait. . . _Elesis stared at her cousin in shock. That lazy old thing, the entire captain of the team? Before she could look to see if anyone was joking, a cheerful, smiling girl with bright pink hair bounced into the room, speaking a mile a minute.

"Sieghart! Everyone! So glad you're here. Oh! And you must be the new recruits; very nice to meet you, I'm the communications officer, Amy Plie! I'd shake your hand, but I'm holding important documents right now. Edel! Didn't you say you accepted Serdin's plead for help? Well, the order finally came, a week later!"

Before anyone could reply, Amy turned to Elesis, Lire, and Arme. Winking one perfect, doe-brown eye, she smiled at them with a mischievous grin.

"Well, Arme! Looks like you're going to get to fiddle around with a dead body today."

The short female turned an interesting shade of green, one Elesis would laugh at if she wasn't paying attention to Amy.

"Can I go into the field?"

All heads turned to her, and Elesis felt very subconscious for a moment. _Seize the day, _she told herself, and took a breath.

"I've completed all my training. I graduated at the top of my class. I could shoot a gun just as well as anyone here." She glared around, as if challenging.

The room was quiet, until slow clapping broke the thick tension.

"Well said." Sieghart rose from laying on the sofa, a soft smirk playing upon his lips. "Give the girl your gun, Ryan, you do nothing but stay inside all day. You can work with Lire. Lass, take Arme to the body and make sure no harm comes her way, for I'd hate to see such a lovely face horrified," he winked at the mentioned female. Lass, a tall policeman with striking white hair, rolled his eyes as he approached and introduced himself to the squeaking Arme.

"As for my darling cousin over here," Sieghart approached her.

"Get your mitts off," Elesis snapped.

He only laughed. "Well, let's head out. Edel, if you would take care of the stack of papers on my desk..."

His deputy rolled her eyes and pushed a strand of lavender hair out of her eyes. "Wheels up in thirty, everyone. We're going to the forest just outside of Wendy's Tower."

Sieg leaned in closer to Elesis, that smirk growing wider. "Since you're coming out with us, why don't we call it Trial Forest for now?"

_:: Grand Chase ::_

Elesis sat in the back of the car, her mind going a mind a minute. She looked out the window, then at her lap, then at the back of Sieghart and Wilde's heads. Somehow, the latter hadn't gotten his suspension after all; Sieg had promised Edel that he'd keep an eye on the bounty hunter, and the female, obviously caught up in other things, halfheartedly agreed.

Finally, the newcomer decided to break the silence.

"So...where are we going?"

Rufus snorted. "Are you sure you graduated at the top of your class?"

Sieghart, who was driving, kept his eyes on the road. "Play nice, Wilde. We're going to the forest just outside of Wendy's Tower, a bit of a town legend. It has no name that any one knows of, and nothing about it either. I'm not sure if it even appears on maps sometimes."

"Stop making it sound so forlorn. It's only because everyone is so interested in Wendy's Tower." Rufus rolled his eyes. "He's only trying to show off his territory to you."

"Wendy's Tower?" Elesis questioned, feeling like she got more questions than answers from that little speech.

Sieg nodded, still keeping his eyes on the road. "It's a legend, as I said. Story goes that it once belonged to a beautiful maid named Wendy. She threw herself off the highest stair and rolled down to the first floor due to reasons unknown, and legend goes the tower has been haunted by her ghost ever since. A small folktale for tourists and daring teenagers, I suppose."

:It's not actually haunted," Rufus said flatly.

"I didn't think it was," Elesis retorted.

"It's kinda creepy though," Sieg smirked. "Are you sure you're going to be able to handle it?"

She rolled her eyes. "First off, we're not going into the tower. Secondly, to do this job I have to handle sociopaths, and nonexistent ghosts don't scare me."

"Well said, Sieghart." Rufus nodded at her from the review mirror.

Despite herself, Elesis felt a swell of pride, giving a small smile.

"Ey, I saw that," Sieg grinned back, mischievously.

"Saw what?" Elesis replied innocently.

"You smiled just then. Enjoying this job this much?"

"Only maybe."

Rufus chuckled, and Sieg was still grinning. Elesis found herself giving a small smile just as Sieg braked and the car rolled to a stop, and the three inside got out.

Greeting them were policemen and medics everywhere, blaring sirens and rushing ambulances.

"You must be the Grand Chase Murder Investigation Agency."

Elesis spun around, behind Rufus and Sieghart, to find a young woman with brown hair tied up in a bun and a cheery smile. "I'm Jennifer Jane, the chief policewoman around Wendy's Tower. Thank you for coming. Follow me, I'll show you to the victim."

"Ercnard Sieghart," Sieghart introduced himself as they shook hands. "These are my officers, Rufus Wilde and Elesis Sieghart."

"Pleasure."

"Likewise." Rufus and Elesis nodded.

Jennifer began walking, and the three followed in suit. "So why did you call us in on this?" Sieghart chatted as they trekked, voicing Elesis' thoughts.

The female's mouth tightened. "You'll see."

Elesis peered curiously at the female, wondering what was going on. Rufus seemed to share her curiosity. "Anything from forensics?"

"ToD was confirmed to be around midnight. Cause of death was blunt force trauma to the back of the head. Dump site was near some poisonous mushrooms. Two teenagers found the body while daring each other to go into the forest this morning."

Elesis shuddered. She couldn't imagine having a dare go wrong and finding a body.

"Mushrooms...were they trying to make it look like an accident?" Sieg asked.

"Seems that way." She nodded.

"Do we have a positive ID on the victim yet?" Rufus asked.

"Not yet. HQ's running it through facial recognition now." Jennifer stopped at a mess of dirt and logs. "Here it is."

Sieg bent down and gently lifted the blue sheet covering the body. Elesis peeked over his shoulder, and froze.

The eyes of death stared back at her, the male's blue eyes wide open and oh so _gone. _Almost like someone had frozen his body over, the John Doe's lips were blue, his skin tinged by the early morning frost. However, that wasn't what bothered Elesis. She would never, ever be able to forget the nothingness in his eyes, the true looks of death.

She felt someone touch her shoulder. Spinning around, she saw Rufus.

"It's hard the first time," his voice was unnaturally gentle.

She swallowed, unable to find words, and just nodded, mind fuzzy.

"It gets easier." His voice was comforting, soft.

"How are you so used to it?" she managed to choke out.

"..." Rufus stared at Sieg, who gave the first a look.

"That's what you need to do to keep his job," was all the officer said, though Elesis suspected there was more to that then just 'get used to it'.

Rufus let go of her shoulder and Elesis gave a visible shudder. Gods. She suddenly felt bad for Arme, being around dead bodies all day. Oh well, if she wanted to do that she could. Elesis couldn't wait to get away.

"Look at this." Sieghart shifted and Rufus came over, the male pulling on a pair of gloves and _touching _the corpse.

Elesis swallowed bile, forced herself to be brave, and looked. _Stay strong, stay strong, _she repeated in her head like a mantra, keeping her stable as Sieghart and Rufus both looked at her in this way, as if expecting her to faint. She'd show them. She would do no such thing.

Rufus' finger was pointed at something, his other hand holding up the boy's head.

Elesis leaned closer, and she felt Sieg reach out behind her. The latter had gloves on as well, and gently opened the corpse's mouth.

Elesis felt like she really was going to puke.

Sieg looked slightly grossed out as well as his deft fingers worked quickly, and he extracted something from the mouth, crumpled up and glistening with dried saliva.

A piece of paper.

Sieg held it out to her, a smirk playing on his lips. "Do the honours, Red."

Someone passed her some gloves. Seriously feeling ill, Elesis pulled them on. _Stay strong. _She snapped the bands, showing her discomfort. _Stay strong. _She took the paper and gently opened it, easing out the corners. _Stay strong._

Etched onto it was a message, hastily scribbled with black ink.

**I' Y**

_::To be Continued::_

_...I'm so evil. 8))_

_Chapter two extract!_

Arme gulped, and looked at Lass. "I can't do this," she said, very seriously.

"Yes you can." His gaze was steady, his voice just as serious.

"There's a dead, naked body underneath that sheet!" she squeaked.

He raised an eyebrow. "So? It's just naked."

Arme felt her face flush. "That's not the point! It's _dead."_

Lass crossed his arms. "So, Arme. You haven't seem a guy naked before, have you?"

"W-what?" Her blush was growing worse, she just knew it. "That's not the point here!"

He chuckled, and she realized he was playing her. Giving him a small punch on the arm, she huffed. "Well, it's now or never. Show me the wonders of the corpse body, oh officer Isolet."

He smirked. "Gladly."

Shuffling forwards, the male inspected the body on the table. Arme stayed back, wondering.

"Oh?" Lass sounded surprised. "What's this?"

_:: Review Replies :;_

_syreAMAZE: Ahh thank you! I LOVE POLICE FICS TOO OMG.  
Well I'm on my way to updating DT right now c: _

_Rinkushido: Same here! And I love fics like this, so I decided to make one c:  
Thank you! Writing this will be fun indeed ^^  
Ah, oh my, so detailed! Thank you, I'll be thinking of this ^^  
LOLYES. Long name indeed. And I'm planning on updating most things this weekend, so stay tuned! C:_


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